I'm Alive
by Shadow 3013
Summary: The war's over, the G-boys have drifted apart... Heero's looking for Duo, Duo's running away... Song-fic, 1X2 shonen-ai/yaoi/slash
1. Disclaimers, Warnings, and Author's Note...

I'm going to get the warning out of the way first, since there's only one and it's short: this story contains shonen-ai/yaoi/slash. Guy love. Two pretty boys kissing each other and stuff. (Nothing graphic here, don't worry!) If you don't like it, don't read it. Simple as that, okay?  
  
Okay. Next thing… Disclaimers. Ahem… The lyrics to The Last Unicorn don't belong to me. They belong to… Other people. I think the band called America is one of them, but I'm not too sure… Just know that the lyrics are NOT mine. Gundam Wing belongs to its creators, and to Sunrise, or whatever that company is called… To make it simple, only the plot of this story is mine, nothing else… Except the motorcycle. The motorcycle is mine. :::Growls::: Please don't sue. I'm just a fan, playing with the boys just to have a little fun. I'm sure they don't mind all that much, so just let me live in my own little world. I'm poor, so you wouldn't get much from me… Other than tears.  
  
Finally… Author's notes! The best part! Besides the story itself, of course. Uhhm… Where to begin…  
  
All right. The way I've written this story is a bit odd, to say the least. I have parts from Heero's PoV, parts from Duo's PoV, and part from just a narrator-type PoV. It should be pretty easy to tell which is which. And if the way I've split this up into chapters is weird, or not to your liking, forgive me. I never intended for it to be in chapters; to me, it isn't. I'm just doing this to make it easier to read, and easier for people to know when I add on/update. Easy enough, right? Yeah. 'Cause I know how it is to be pushed for time, and you want to be able to pick up easily where you left off. That's what I'm aiming for you, the readers, to be able to do.  
  
Well, that's all, I think… On to the story! R&R will be treasured, flames cried over, then tossed aside… And remember my policy. You review me, I review you! If you have time, please review each chapter separately. Not only does it make things easier for me, but I also feel special when I get lots of reviews… Thanks, and I hope you like the story! 


	2. Song Lyrics

When the last eagle flies  
  
over the last crumbling mountain,  
  
And the last lion roars  
  
at the last dusty fountain,  
  
In the shadow of the forest  
  
though she may be old and worn  
  
they will stare unbelieving  
  
at the Last Unicorn  
  
When the first breath of winter  
  
through the flowers is icing  
  
and you look to the north  
  
and the pale moon is rising  
  
and seems like all is dying  
  
and would leave the world to mourn  
  
in the distance hear the laughter  
  
of the Last Unicorn  
  
I'm alive,  
  
I'm alive  
  
When the last moon is cast  
  
over the last star of morning,  
  
and the future has passed  
  
without even a last desperate warning  
  
then look into the sky where through  
  
the clouds have had their sport  
  
Look and see her, how she sparkles,  
  
she's the Last Unicorn  
  
I'm alive,  
  
I'm alive 


	3. Chapter One

Heero stood in one of the many gardens of a mansion built at the foot of an old, crumbling mountain. An eagle flew over his head, heading towards, and eventually over, said mountain. Heero grunted; you didn't see many eagles these days. Patiently, he waited for his host to come back out. When the mansion's owner reappeared in the courtyard, he was followed by several servants carrying various burdens.  
  
Heero had found the mansion without realizing it belonged to Quatre; that was just luck. He had planned on simply stealing some food and other provisions from the house before continuing his self assigned mission, but upon realizing that his friend was the owner of the mansion, he ended up receiving all the items he had planned on stealing. And more; Quatre had somehow managed to keep around several outfits of the type worn by Heero: green tanktop, black spandex shorts, and yellow sneakers. Heero thanked Quatre and his servants for the help, then headed off towards the nearest exit.  
  
As he was walking, Heero absently wondered where and why Quatre had gotten and had so many of his outfits, until the obvious answer quickly occurred to him. Many times Heero had returned to a safe house battered, bruised, and bloody, and had needed a new outfit. Quatre had simply been well prepared and stocked all of his houses with said outfits. He shrugged and continued on.  
  
On his way out, Heero had a surprise. As he was walking through an old, mostly unused courtyard, he heard a lion's roar. Looking across the courtyard, he saw Trowa and a young lion standing in front of a large, slightly dusty fountain. They were both performing amusing tricks, and Heero saw one of Trowa's slight, ever-so-rare smiles. A few moments later, Quatre stepped out of a doorway near the fountain and walked over to Trowa, whose smile widened.  
  
Heero smiled too, but sadly. He was very happy for his friends, but anxious to find what he had set out looking for. He continued walking, leaving Trowa and Quatre embracing in the courtyard, with the lion lying contentedly at their feet. At the front of the house he hopped onto the motorcycle that Quatre had insisted he take, then drove away. 


	4. Chapter Two

Days later, Heero was far from Quatre's mansion. Towards the end of one day, near sunset, he reached a forest. Wearily, he got off of his motorcycle and stretched. As he did, he saw something move at the edge of the trees.  
  
A flash of black, and a trailing braid of chestnut…  
  
"Duo?" Heero whispered to himself, unbelieving. He stared at the figure, which had paused. Finally, he blinked, as even the Perfect Soldier must do eventually. When his gaze focused back at the trees again, the figure was gone, hidden away in the forest. Heero ran over to the trees and looked for the figure desperately. He spent the next two days searching for Duo, but to no avail.  
  
Heero finally gave up, figuring that by now Duo would be out of the area, and that he should move on as well. He began to wonder if, perhaps, Duo's figure in the forest had only been a figment of his longing mind and heart.  
  
That thought halted him. His thoughts began to race, and he sat down. It was as good a place as any to sort through his jumbled thoughts, and the peaceful forest calmed him slightly, so it was probably a better place than most. With a sigh, he placed his head in his hands, and began to sort through the thoughts in his mind.  
  
Things got a bit out of control once he started to concentrate on thinking, however. Two parts of his mind warred over what he believed, and he was caught in the middle, listening to both. This hadn't happened to him since he had started his training when he was a young child… Not until he had first met Duo. Wait… It had happened once before that… Concerning a little girl and her puppy… And he had been punished for that one occurrence… But once he had met Duo, he had battled with himself over the boy. And since the war's beginning, and again after its end, he'd had such battles over why he always saved Relena… But that was a different matter, though a connected one…  
  
Heero started to try to think about the whole Relena matter again, to keep his mind away from the subject that he knew he was really concerned about, but it didn't work. His mind, both sides of it, interrupted him, taking matters upon themselves.  
  
{What am I doing out here?}  
  
{{Looking for Duo.}}  
  
{I know that! But why? I didn't bother looking for any of the other pilots.}  
  
{{He's different. Special.}}  
  
{Why? Why am I out here looking for him?}  
  
{{You missed him. You still miss him.}}  
  
{I have other things to do with my life besides looking for some braided baka!}  
  
{{Oh really?}}  
  
{Yes.}  
  
{{Like what?}}  
  
{Killing Relena. Preferably by slow torture.}  
  
{{Point taken, and I agree. But isn't finding Duo more important to you?}}  
  
{… … … …}  
  
{{As I thought. Just drop the charade, Yuy.}}  
  
{I don't know what you're thinking about!}  
  
{{I think you do. After all, we're parts of the same person.}}  
  
{I try to forget that.}  
  
{{Hmmph. Too bad for you; I'm not gonna' let ya. Tough luck, bud.}}  
  
{What's your point?}  
  
{{You know why you're out here. Now I want you to admit it to yourself.}}  
  
{I'm looking for Duo. What of it?}  
  
{{You know.}}  
  
{What of it?}  
  
{{What's the reason you're looking for him?}}  
  
{I… I mi.. miss him.}  
  
{{Was it that tough to say?}}  
  
{Go away.}  
  
{{I don't think so. Now, that was a start… But what's the real reason?}}  
  
{I've told you.}  
  
{{No. You told me part of it. I want you to say it all. Why do you miss him?}}  
  
{… … There's nothing to say. I just do.}  
  
{{Don't give me that. You know there is. Now say it.}}  
  
{Even if there were anything more to say, what would you do if I didn't?}  
  
{{Force it out.}}  
  
{How?}  
  
{{Oh… I have my ways… And I don't think you'd enjoy any of them…}  
  
{… … … … I… … … … …}  
  
{{Go ahead. I'm listening.}}  
  
{I hate you. Go away. You're useless. There's no need for you in my mind.}  
  
{{We've already had that particular discussion. I won once, there's no need for me  
  
to rub it in and win again, is there? Now say it.}}  
  
{I… I… I don't hate him.}  
  
{{True… But that's not quite what I'm waiting for. It's a start, at least…}}  
  
{…}  
  
{{Come on now. All of it.}}  
  
{I… I LOVE HIM! OKAY? I SAID IT! NOW GO AWAY!}  
  
{{Thank you… That's all I needed to hear. It's all that you needed to say.}}  
  
{What do you mean?}  
  
{{Now that you've admitted it to us both… You can't take back what you just said.  
  
Unless it stops being the truth.}}  
  
{It will NEVER stop being the truth! I'll always love him!!!}  
  
{{You're probably right… Now. Why are you still sitting here? Go find him and tell  
  
him what you just told me.}}  
  
{NANI?!?!?}  
  
{{You heard me.}}  
  
{Tell him!?!? But, what if he…}  
  
{{You'll never know what he'll do until you tell him. And think of what will happen if  
  
he accepts what you say… Even if he doesn't return your feelings, you'll still have  
  
a friend nearby. And if he does happen to return your feelings…}}  
  
{But what if he gets disgusted with me and never wants to see me again!?!?}  
  
{{Do you really want to put yourself through all this every day? If you tell him… At  
  
least you'll know one way or another.}}  
  
{But…}  
  
{{Hey! You told Trowa that you should always act on your emotions. You're not  
  
going against your own good advice, are you?}}  
  
{This is different.}  
  
{{Really? How so?))  
  
{It just is.}  
  
{{I don't think so. That's not gonna cut it this time, bud. Now go find him.}}  
  
{No. I can't.}  
  
{{Really? Why not? You've certainly got the skills to do so.}}  
  
{I'm not good enough for him. He deserves better.}  
  
{{Hmm… Why don't you let him be the judge of that?}}  
  
{But…}  
  
{{You've got nothing to lose, and everything to gain. Go.}}  
  
{ … You're right… I'll go… And I will find him…}  
  
With that, Heero stood up, got back on his motorcycle, and took off. He was going to find his target. He had accepted his mission… He would finish it. And failure was definitely not an option… Especially since he had given the assignment to himself.  
  
"I'm coming Duo… You can run… You can hide… But once I find you, and I will find you… I'll find out how you feel. You've said yourself that you can never lie…" Heero whispered to himself as he drove. The look on his face was determined. Ninmu ryoukai… 


	5. Chapter Three

Duo heard the familiar sound of a motorcycle's engine rapidly approaching the forest. It was a sound that he was familiar with, but had not heard in quite a while. Not since the war had ended, and he had left his friends behind…  
  
The war had ended several months ago. For a few weeks, just around a month, all the pilots had stayed together in one of Quatre's various estates. They had had fun, after adjusting at least partially to the fact that they could do basically whatever they wanted to now; there were no more missions giving them objectives and demanding completion. They finally had a chance to act their age.  
  
No, they weren't exactly what anyone could call 'innocent'. Not anymore. But they were closer to it. More carefree and happy than they had been. Duo had found himself becoming increasingly more happy… And increasingly more afraid.  
  
Yes, afraid. Even now that the war was over, and the outside enemies were apparently gone, or at least out of site, Duo still found himself afraid. And his fear had increased with every day that had passed… What had he been afraid of?  
  
The answer was simple. He had been afraid of a dark-haired, cobalt-eyed young man; one his own age, sixteen. One who, during the war, had been a fellow Gundam pilot. Namely, one Heero Yuy. He was still afraid.  
  
Now, why had he been afraid? Why was he still afraid? Ah. Therein was the real question. And the answer to this one was much, much more difficult, and much more complex. Why was he still afraid….? He had removed himself from the threat, after all…  
  
Duo was about to start thinking on that subject when, suddenly, or at least suddenly to him, the sound of the motorcycle engine stopped, almost directly in front of where he was standing.  
  
Startled, Duo immediately dodged behind the tree that he had been halfway leaning against. Then, cautiously, he peeked around the side of the tree. And gasped in shock… A hundred or so yards away from him was Heero, standing next to a motorcycle: the one that Duo had heard approaching. Heero stretched, then looked into the forest. His eyes reached Duo just as Duo started to dodge back behind his tree again.  
  
Duo couldn't help himself; he froze. He just had to take one final look at that face, those eyes… He had to have one last, fresh memory, a memory to last him the rest of his self-imposed exile.  
  
For several long moments, he didn't move, didn't blink; neither did Heero. Finally, Duo shook himself out of it, and slipped completely behind the cover of the tree.  
  
He heard the sound of approaching footsteps, heading towards him at a very quick pace. He did the only thing he could think of doing at that moment: he turned and ran. He ran as fast as he could, dodging in and out of trees and heading deeper and deeper into the forest. The only thought in his mind was that he had to lose Heero… He had to…  
  
After an hour or so of keeping up his fast, ground-eating pace, Duo finally slowed. But he didn't stop. Not yet. Instead, he kept going, until, two days later, he was far, far into the large forest, at least three fourths of the way into the side opposite from where he had started at. He finally decided that it was probably safe to find someplace to rest for longer than those few short hours he had slept during the course of his flight…  
  
After a bit of searching, Duo found a cave large enough to hide himself in comfortably. He crawled inside, then laid down. He was exhausted, but he didn't go to sleep yet. He had to think first…  
  
"Why did I run?" Duo asked himself, shaking his head. He didn't know what had come over him when he had seen Heero! Or, rather, he wouldn't admit what had come over him. Once more, he found himself debating things internally. He had never done that until shortly after he had first met Heero. And he had kept on having these internal debates with himself ever since that day he had first lain eyes on the former Wing pilot…  
  
{{You know why you ran.}}  
  
{Why are you here? You said you wouldn't bother me anymore!}  
  
{{No… I said that I would leave you alone for a while. It's been a while.}}  
  
{Not long enough! Now go away!}  
  
{{No.}}  
  
{No?!?!? Why not?!?}  
  
{{You know why.}}  
  
{No I… Okay. Fine…}  
  
{{Good boy, you've finally learned that arguing will get you nowhere fast.}}  
  
{Yeah, yeah. Whatever. I'm listening. So start talking.}  
  
{{No… I think not. You're the one that needs to be doing the talking.}}  
  
{About what?}  
  
{{Why you ran.}}  
  
{I've already said that I don't know why!}  
  
{{Yes, you've said that. But you're lying.}}  
  
{I am not! I run, I hide, but I never lie!}  
  
{{Maybe not to others… But you're lying to yourself. And that's the worst person  
  
you can ever lie to.}}  
  
{Yeah… I guess you're right…}  
  
{{So talk. Tell me why you ran.}}  
  
{I… I was… I was scared.}  
  
{{Scared of what? Of Heero? You know he'd never hurt you. Not you.}}  
  
{Really? He has before.}  
  
{{Mentally or physically?}}  
  
{Both.}  
  
{{You were the one hurting yourself mentally; Heero never did anything.}}  
  
{That's the problem! He's like a machine!}  
  
{{You could get past that.}}  
  
{Well, besides, he's hurt me before. Physically. Violence is his answer to practically  
  
everything!}}  
  
{{Keep in mind the training he's had since he was a child!}}  
  
{Yeah…}  
  
{{And besides, he's never hurt you unless it was for your own good; like if you were  
  
about to get yourself hurt, or give away your position during a mission, or if it was  
  
the only way to keep you from getting hurt worse by someone else. He wouldn't  
  
ever hurt you now that the war's over, unless you were trying to hurt yourself! He  
  
would never hurt you on purpose for some petty little reason like some would!}}  
  
{Yeah… I'd like to think that… But I don't have any proof!}  
  
{{Yes, you do.}}  
  
{Oh yeah? What?}  
  
{{The way he looks at you when he thinks you're not watching him.}}  
  
{That could be my imagination! Besides, he's just cautious.}  
  
{{Okay. Fine. How about the way that he only shows real emotions when you're  
  
around him?}}  
  
{How would I know if he showed them any other time? I'm not there to see!}  
  
{{…}}  
  
{Got ya!}  
  
{{Not yet.}}  
  
{Huh?}  
  
{{What about all those times that Quatre came up to you and asked about your  
  
relationship with Heero? He could sense that he felt something for you… And  
  
you know that Quatre had and has no reason to make such things up. He  
  
wouldn't do that. And his intuition is always right.}}  
  
{…}  
  
{{Guess I got you that time. Now, tell me why you ran.}}  
  
{I told you already. I was scared.}  
  
{{Of what?}}  
  
{Heero. Of what he would say. Of what I would say.}  
  
{{What were you worried about?}}  
  
{I was worried that I'd let something slip… I'd say something about how I really feel  
  
about him…}  
  
{{And?}}  
  
{…?}  
  
{{So what if you did? At least it would be out in the open.}}  
  
{But…}  
  
{{But what?}}  
  
{But what if he's disgusted by such things? I mean, guy-guy relationships still  
  
aren't the most normal thing around, even nowadays.}  
  
{{What if he isn't disgusted by the idea?}}  
  
{Well… Even if he's not… He's got Relena. What do I have that she doesn't?}  
  
{{How about sanity?}}  
  
{Heh… Well… That is one thing… But besides that! What can I give to him?}  
  
{{Love. Friendship.}}  
  
{She's got love for him!}  
  
{{That's unthinking obsession for a person that she doesn't even know.}}  
  
{I don't know him that well either!}  
  
{{Better than you think you do… And you still know him better than she does.  
  
Better than almost anyone else does.}}  
  
{Well…}  
  
{{And what if he feels the same way?}}  
  
{…}  
  
{{Well?}}  
  
{Aaa… Anou… I dunno'…}  
  
{{Yes you do.}}  
  
{I'd latch onto him and never let go.}  
  
{{And…?}}  
  
{And… I'd tell that psycho Relena to back off, cause he's MINE!}  
  
{{That's better. Now… Go find him. Tell him.}}  
  
{But…}  
  
{{No buts, Maxwell ol' boy. Not this time. Now, get some rest. You're leaving in the  
  
morning.}}  
  
{I'm WHAT!?!?!?}  
  
{{Don't complain. At least you'll get some sleep. It won't be too early, at least.  
  
Remember… We are the same person… And I don't like waking up early any more  
  
than you do.}}  
  
{I wasn't going to say it's too early… It's too late! I wanna find him NOW!}  
  
{{You need rest more… Now shut up and go to sleep.}}  
  
{But…!}  
  
Duo finally fell asleep, exhausted. For once, his dreams were peaceful. He was no longer running away… Instead, he was running toward someone… A someone with dark hair and gorgeous cobalt eyes. A particular spandex- clothed boy who, during the war, had had a penchant for self-destruct mechanisms. And in the dream, the other boy was running towards him as well… And he didn't look upset. In fact, he looked… Happy…  
  
The braided ex-pilot ended up sleeping for over a day. When he finally woke up, it was obvious that autumn was at an end, and winter was on its way, and coming fast. With a smile on his lips, the first real one that he'd had since leaving Quatre's house, and the rest of the pilots, he set out to find the boy he needed to talk to. Mission accepted… 


	6. Chapter Four

Heero drove through a meadow of flowers; the flowers were faintly tinged with frost. The first frost of the season, the first breath of winter, had happened during the night before, and it reflected what Heero was beginning to feel, or recognize that he was feeling, within his heart. It had started to numb after Duo had ran away from him… Like the flowers had finally been coated with a thin frost once the sun and its bright, warming presence ran away from them… The only difference was that Heero had no guarantee that his sunshine would eventually come back.  
  
Several days had passed since Heero had finally stopped searching the forest for Duo. During the course of those days, he had been heading north. He was riding along the outskirts of the forest. He had thought about going past the forest, or to it's other side, but something had prompted to stay on its outskirts. It was if his mind (or perhaps his heart…?) was telling him not to stray too far…  
  
The weather, which was now growing increasingly colder, had not yet affected Heero. He was still driven by his need to find Duo and tell him what he was feeling, what he had been feeling since before halfway through the war… That driving obsession with finding Duo kept him warm.  
  
"Is this what Relena feels like when she's looking for me?" Heero asked himself as he continued to ride north. He dismissed the thought almost immediately. Perhaps she felt something similar, but definitely not the same. His obsession was fueled by love. Hers was fueled by… Something else, although he didn't know quite what… Perhaps insanity? That was a definite possibility… Very likely, in fact…  
  
That night, Heero stopped in a glen a small ways into the forest, just as he had done for several nights before. He looked up, and could just make out the pale moon rising in the sky… It was beautiful…  
  
"I wish I could show this to Duo…" Heero thought to himself. It was then that he realized that ever since he had begun to start liking Duo as more than a friend, he had begun thinking occasionally of what Duo would like, rather than what he himself wanted, or what the mission objective was… It was this sudden realization, and the fact that he let himself acknowledge it rather than arguing with himself, that made Heero really see just how in love he was with Duo… It only made him more determined to find the braided boy.  
  
Unfortunately for Heero, that was also the moment that he realized just how lonely he felt. And just how alone he really was… Looking around, the ex- Wing-pilot noticed that the grass was a whitish color, faded out and dead looking. The leaves of the trees overhead were changed as well. They were dropping off of the trees that they usually clung to, and their colors were no longer the vibrant, healthy, life-filled greens that they were during the spring and summer, or even the colorful reds, oranges, and yellows of the fall, but were instead dull, drab browns and greys.  
  
It was as if nature itself was dying all around him, now that Duo was no longer there to encourage it onward with his mere presence. Everything around Heero was dying, and leaving the world to mourn its death, if the world wished to do so. Heero was certain that he would, even if nobody else did…  
  
Unnoticed, a few tears sprang to his eyes. One solitary crystal drop of the salty liquid escaped his cobalt blue eyes, and, as if it had announced its escape to the others and urged them to follow, more tears followed. At first, Heero hardly even noticed. When he did, he simply didn't know how to react… This had never happened to him before… This was the first time he had felt real sadness ever since the little girl and her puppy… In fact, it was the first time that he'd shown any real, strong emotions other than anger or hate ever since that same day…  
  
Suddenly, a familiar sound drifted to his ears, and he paused, his entire body poised to help him catch any further sound. In those next seconds, seconds that seemed to drag on and last forever, all was silent. Then, a few moments later, the sound reoccurred, this time closer. The sound was familiar, so wonderfully familiar; it had once been an almost daily sound. The unmistakable sound of Duo's laughter…  
  
Heero sprang to his feet, not even pausing to wipe away his tears, and began running towards where he had heard the sound. It didn't even occur to him to use his motorcycle until it was already out of sight… And gods knew that he wasn't going to waste time turning around to get it once he thought of it. 


	7. Chapter Five

Days had passed since Duo had awoken and set out on his journey, his mission to find Heero. He didn't know how many days; he had lost count. The past didn't matter. Only the present, so that he could continue, and the future, when he would finally find Heero again, mattered to him. Time was obsolete: he ate when he was hungry, drank when he was thirsty, slept when he was tired. All the rest of his time was filled by one thing and one thing only. The only thing that was important to him: finding Heero.  
  
Heero. Sometime during his search, it finally occurred to Duo that at this point, he wasn't even particularly concerned with how Heero would react to what he was going to tell him… He just wanted to find him. To see him again, talk to him again, regardless of what he talked about. To hear his voice, to be near him. That was all that really mattered. The meeting itself was the most important thing; its resolution would happen regardless of what he did. Right now, he could only affect when the meeting happened. The harder he looked, the sooner he would find him…  
  
Frost had touched the forest, as well as the fields and meadows just outside of the forest. At first, Duo stayed fairly far inside the shelter of the forest, where the icy, biting wind was at least partially blocked by the trees. Eventually, however, he was more concerned with his speed rather than his own comfort, and he moved closer to the edge of the forest. At one point, he faintly heard the sound of a motorcycle, one just out of his range if he were to shout…  
  
When he heard the sound of the motorcycle engine, a burst of energy filled his body. Duo picked up his pace considerably, and walked all day. He slept a few hours, just enough to where his body could bring itself to continue on, then walked throughout the rest of the night. Then repeated that schedule the next day after that. It was then that he heard the motorcycle again, this time much closer, though still not within his shouting distance, by any means…  
  
Finally, Duo knew he was close. It was late evening, and he had heard the motorcycle's engine stop. Not fade off, but stop. That was a good sign. A sign that he was close. So close… Just a few more hours of walking, and he would reach his target…  
  
There was no doubt in Duo's mind that Heero was the one he had been following. It could be no other. After all, who else would be out during the beginning of winter, riding a motorcycle along the outskirts of a forest located practically in the middle of nowhere? He kept walking onward, pushing himself further.  
  
Night approached rapidly. Soon it was dark, and the moon began to rise. Duo was tempted to sleep, but he wouldn't let himself. He couldn't take the chance of Heero deciding to continue on during the night… He wouldn't take that chance…  
  
Suddenly, Duo collapsed. He was weak; he had pushed his body too far, and now it was rebelling… He wouldn't allow it! He was Shinigami! If he had survived the war without death claiming him, there was no way in hell that he was going to let something as small as simple fatigue stop him now… There was no way in hell…  
  
Duo took a few deep breaths, calling to mind an image of Heero sleeping; he looked so peaceful when he was asleep… Finally, he struggled to his feet, and began to walk slowly forward.  
  
After a while, perhaps fifteen or twenty minutes later, he happened to look up at the moon. And he laughed. Rather than the rabbit on the moon that most people saw, or the man on the moon that the others saw, that familiar old man, Duo saw something quite different. Instead, the moon looked to him like the face of a chibi Heero… He took a deep breath, determined not to make any more sound…  
  
Duo laughed again. He couldn't help himself! The laughter was the uncontrollable laughter one only got when one was incredibly tired, and nothing really made sense. He was exhausted almost to the point of hallucination, though not quite. Not quite… Still, he was almost desperate with the overwhelming need he felt… He had to find Heero… And there, up in the sky, was an adorable, ridiculous motivation for him, urging him on…  
  
Duo's laughter filled the night in irregular burst after that, erupting from his aching chest from time to time. He was getting closer, he knew he was… He wanted to collapse, to drop to the ground and sleep, but he wouldn't let himself. Not yet.  
  
After stumbling onward for a few moments longer, Duo could see a figure approaching rapidly. It looked like Heero… Duo shook his head, as if to clear his mind, and bring sense to himself. He looked again. Still there, and closer… Finally, he rubbed his eyes roughly, trying to wake himself up, in case he really was delusional… Still there…  
  
"Heero…" Duo whispered. Was it real? He had to find out… Using one last spurt of energy, Duo quickened his pace to a fast walk, the most that he could manage in his state. He would find out soon enough if the figure was real… And if it was… 


	8. Chapter Six

Finally, after running for what seemed like hours, perhaps even days, Heero finally reached the object of his mission: Duo. Tears were still streaming down his face, unnoticed and unheeded.  
  
"Duo…" he whispered under his breath as he reached the boy, sweeping him into his arms. Duo held onto him as though for dear life, and Heero could feel him shaking…  
  
Finally, Duo pulled away after quickly wiping his face with one sleeve. Heero was surprised at how worn and tattered his familiar priest's outfit was, though his hair was still shiny and perfectly braided.  
  
"Ne, Heero! Good to see ya again! Where've ya been? I've missed ya!" Duo exclaimed cheerfully, albeit a bit tiredly. His eyes were sparkling with real joy, not the forced look that had been in them so often during the war.  
  
Heero stared.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Finally, Duo could see the running figure plainly. There was more than enough moonlight for him to make out the face clearly, not that he had needed to see it. By now he knew the way Heero moved by heart, certainly well enough to recognize him from a slight distance when he was the only person around. But he saw his face, and it shocked him.  
  
For the first time that Duo could remember, probably for the first time whatsoever, there were emotions plainly plastered on the face of the Perfect Soldier, there to be read by whoever happened to look at him. And that person, perhaps not-so-coincidentally, just happened to be Duo…  
  
Duo didn't know quite how to react… Heero was obviously a jumble of emotions, and probably feeling just as messed up as he was at the moment… Duo could read relief, happiness, and disbelief quite readily. And below those obvious emotions, something more…? Duo shook his head mentally. He didn't want to get his hopes up prematurely. Right now, all he wanted to do was be near Heero… It didn't matter what he thought… Not yet, at least. Not yet. Right now, there was only the present time…  
  
Suddenly, Heero was right in front of him, and Duo felt himself, to his great surprise and elation, being pulled forward into Heero's tight embrace. He found himself hugging Heero back, holding on with everything that he had left. Which was just as well; without that support, he might have very well collapsed from exhaustion, surprise, and an overwhelming surge of emotions. He might have even fainted…  
  
Finally, Duo did something that faintly surprised himself. He stepped back and, with that cheeky grin that had popped onto his face so often during the war, when he was in the presence of his friends, exclaimed, "Ne, Heero! Good to see ya again! Where've ya been? I've missed ya!"  
  
Heero stared at him, obviously dumbfounded. It took all of Duo's self control to keep from laughing at his friend. 


	9. Chapter Seven

"Oi, Heero! Come on, man! Ya look like a grounded fish!" Duo teased, pointing to Heero's gaping mouth. Heero's jaw snapped shut instantly.  
  
"Hn." Came his normal reply. Despite his plans of confessing everything to Duo, and he really meant to carry out those plans, old habits die hard. Even for Perfect Soldiers. Perhaps old habits die even harder for Perfect Soldiers, since those habits are usually the same habits, or results of habits, forced into them during training. Often those habits were ones that kept them alive during wars and hard times. Hard habits to let go of.  
  
"I need to say something…" Heero thought to himself, his mental tone almost desperate. Now that he was faced with the actual event that he had been acting out mentally for the past few days, he realized that he still wasn't quite ready yet. He knew that he wasn't going to be able to just pour out all his feelings wide into the open, leaving himself vulnerable. It was still too soon for him to be that ready…  
  
"Hn. Change in plans." He continued to himself. Heero decided that it would all have to happen gradually, probably very gradually, but he also realized that now was as good a time as ever to start the process.  
  
"I missed you too." Heero finally said, interrupting the flow of chatter that had been spouting from Duo's mouth; words which he had only been half listening to, since they hadn't been truly important. They had been important to Duo, though, on some level at least, which is why he listened at all.  
  
Duo stopped halfway through a word, and his jaw dropped open. Shock was written across his face as plain as if someone had applied a huge "NANI!?!?" stamp to his forehead. Heero chuckled ever so softly.  
  
"Now who looks like the grounded fish?" he thought to himself, still watching Duo, waiting to see what he would do next. He didn't realize until Duo's eyes widened even further that he had accidentally repeated his thought out loud.  
  
Duo began to laugh. "Heero, joking!?!? Man, you must really be out of it, Hee-chan!" he exclaimed with a grin, still staring at his friend. He was even more shocked when his use of 'Hee-chan' didn't get its customary 'Omae o korosu.' response, or even an annoyed 'Don't call me that.'.  
  
"Hn." Heero replied with a slight shrug. Duo rolled his eyes up in mock frustration, but Heero noticed that his smile didn't fade away any. That was a good sign.  
  
"So… Now what do we do?" Duo asked suddenly, taking Heero by surprise. 


	10. Chapter Eight

Duo looked at his friend expectedly; it was taking a good deal of self control on his part to keep from planting his hands on his hips and tapping his foot impatiently. From the way that Heero just kind of stared at him, Duo knew that he didn't have an answer.  
  
"Wow… First time he hasn't fully planned everything out in all the time I've known him… I guess today's just full of changes and surprises!" Duo thought to himself, a slight smile appearing on his face.  
  
"Well? Come on, now! Even if you didn't have a plan beforehand, surely you can make one up pretty quick! Come on, let's hear what you're thinking!" Duo prompted teasingly. Heero raised one eyebrow, looking as if he were faintly surprised that Duo had said something again.  
  
Duo sighed and shook his head, grinning. If Heero didn't come up with something soon, he was going to doom him to a shopping trip in the first city they came to. Even if Heero hadn't planned on him coming along, it would happen. He wasn't giving up that fast.  
  
"Let's head back to my motorcycle first; then we'll go find someplace to stay." Heero finally replied, turning and heading back in the direction he had come from. Duo shrugged and followed, hoping that Heero wouldn't walk much faster… 


	11. Chapter Nine

"What on Earth and all the colonies am I doing?" Heero asked himself as he turned and started walking. "I was supposed to tell him what I feel… Or at least try to! Instead, I'm making him walk much further than I think he'll be able to handle… He'd probably would've collapsed by now if it weren't for the factors of male pride and a soldier's instincts not letting him collapse when anyone's around!"  
  
Heero shook his head mentally. He didn't even know where they'd go once they got back to the motorcycle… He didn't have anywhere to live; he'd been staying with Quatre right after the war, just like all the other pilots. Then, once he'd left to go look for Duo, he'd just been staying at hotels or wherever else he could find shelter. That wasn't the type of life he wanted for Duo if Duo followed him, never mind that Duo himself had been living alone in a forest in the middle of nowhere!  
  
"I guess that we could stay with Quatre for a while, at least until I find a job and someplace else for us to live…" Heero began making a tentative plan in his mind. Suddenly, a horrible, horrible thought hit him.  
  
"Wait a minute… I'm assuming that Duo will even want to stay with me… I have no way of knowing that he will! He doesn't have any reason to want to, and I don't have any reason to force him to… What am I going to do?!?!?!?" he thought. Confused thoughts ran rapid in his head, beginning to give him a headache.  
  
Heero's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a quiet groan from behind him. The Japanese pilot turned around just in time to catch Duo as the American pilot collapsed.  
  
"Duo no baka… Why didn't you just say that you needed to rest for a few minutes?" Heero questioned, his voice just the slightest bit upset. He tried not to let any more emotion get into his voice.  
  
"Didn' wanna' make ya' think I was weak or anythin'…" Duo replied, his voice slurred and tired. He looked up, purple eyes meeting cobalt ones, and smiled weakly.  
  
Heero shook his head. "No, Duo… I wouldn't have thought you were weak…" he murmured, tracing the edge of Duo's face with one callused thumb. Duo was the strong one, always managing to keep up a cheerful facade even when he was feeling anything but. That was harder than keeping up a blank, emotionless facade.  
  
"I've got to get him someplace warm… With him this exhausted, it'll be too easy for him to catch cold…" Heero thought to himself. Gently he lifted up the American boy and continued walking back to his motorcycle. Within minutes, Duo was asleep in his arms. 


	12. Chapter Ten

"Oh, man… I don't know how much longer I'll be able to keep walking… Maybe I should ask him to slow down a little…" Duo thought to himself, looking at the figure walking a few paces in front of him.  
  
"No… I can't do that… He'll think that I'm weak… I don't want him to think that… Weakness can't be part of the Perfect Soldier's life, even now that the war is over…" he scolded himself, shaking his head. "Besides, during the war I faced worse conditions with less sleep…"  
  
{{Yeah, but you hadn't been separated from Heero for months when those  
  
situations occurred.}}  
  
{So…? What has that got to do with it?}  
  
{{Heh…}}  
  
{… What…?}  
  
{{You know.}}  
  
{No I don't.}  
  
{{Liar.}}  
  
{I run, I hide, but I never lie!}  
  
{{I thought that we already went over that earlier.}}  
  
{Yeah… I guess we did…}  
  
{{Trust me. We did.}}  
  
{Well… So?}  
  
{{Just tell him you need to rest.}}  
  
{No way!}  
  
{{Why not?}}  
  
{He'll think I'm a weakling!}  
  
{{Really? You think so?}}  
  
{Yeah…}  
  
{{I think you're wrong… I think you'd be surprised.}}  
  
{Oh well… Doesn't matter… I'm not gonna.}  
  
{{You should. You're only going to hurt yourself if you don't.}}  
  
{Nah… I won't.}  
  
{{You'll catch cold.}}  
  
{No way! Death doesn't get sick!}  
  
{{Uh huh. Sure. Then how about that cold you got during one mission?}}  
  
{Aaa… Ano… Eto…}  
  
{{That's what I thought. Now hurry up and ask to rest. If you don't, you'll-}}  
  
With a scarcely perceptible groan, Duo collapsed, his energy reserve completely spent. He hadn't been in what you could call a well-rested state before he had first spotted Heero in the woods… Running away from his friend made him more tired… And even after all the sleep he had gotten before searching for the Japanese boy, he still hadn't been at his best.  
  
Chasing after Heero had pushed him to his limits physically, and then the emotional roller-coaster he had ridden on once he had finally found Heero had drained him mentally… In short, he just couldn't go any further on his own.  
  
Heero heard his friend and turned around just in time to keep Duo from hitting the ground. Duo noted somewhere in the back of his head just how strong Heero was.  
  
"Duo no baka… Why didn't you just say that you needed to rest for a few minutes?" Heero questioned. Duo was almost sure that he could hear some emotion in his friend's voice… Was he upset? And was that… Care? No… Of course not… Not from Heero!  
  
"Didn' wanna' make ya' think I was weak or anythin'…" Duo replied, his voice slurred and tired. He looked up, purple eyes meeting cobalt ones, and smiled weakly.  
  
It took all Duo's self control to keep from crying. "I can't cry…" he thought to himself. "Boys don't cry… I can' t cry… Boys don't cry!" he silently repeated to himself over and over. A tear formed in one eye and threatened to spill down to his cheek.  
  
Heero shook his head. "No, Duo… I wouldn't have thought you were weak…" he murmured, tracing the edge of Duo's face with one callused thumb.  
  
Duo almost fainted right then and there. He had heard actual compassion in Heero's voice that time. It wasn't his imagination, he was sure it wasn't! And the path that Heero's thumb traced on his face left behind an extremely pleasant tingly feeling…  
  
Much to Duo's surprise, he felt himself being scooped up by the Japanese ex- pilot. Heero's strong arms were surprisingly gentle, and Duo felt himself relax quicker than he ever had before. He felt safe in Heero's arms; his friend wouldn't let anything or anyone harm him… He was sure of it.  
  
Practically purring, Duo quickly fell asleep in Heero's arms as his friend continued to head towards the place he had left his motorcycle. 


	13. Chapter Eleven

After twenty or thirty minutes of walking, Heero finally reached the little glen where he had left his motorcycle. Setting Duo down on the ground as gently as he could manage, he used a pile of wood he had gathered earlier that night to start a fire. He needed to keep Duo as warm as he could…  
  
Once the fire was going, Heero pulled his bedroll over to the fire, placed Duo on it, and covered him with the thin blanket he had brought with him in his backpack. It wasn't much, but it was all he had, and it was better than nothing… Heero sat down on one end of the bedroll, placing his friend's head on his lap to keep it from the damp ground.  
  
"Oh, Duo… How could you let yourself get into this condition? You should take better care of yourself…" Heero whispered to his sleeping friend. He looked down at the American's face, the fire making shadows dance over it.  
  
Compassion was plainly evident on Heero's face as he stared down worriedly at Duo. How had he let himself get so tired and weak? It simply wasn't like him…  
  
{{He missed you.}}  
  
{What?}  
  
{{He missed you.}}  
  
{What does that have to do with anything?}  
  
{{You kept him from letting himself get like that. You gave him a reason to keep  
  
himself going.}}  
  
{You're wrong… I didn't have anything to do with that.}  
  
{{Oh really? How would you know that you didn't?}}  
  
{How would you know that I did?}  
  
{{Point well made, and taken.}}  
  
{Good.}  
  
{{But I'm still right. And you're still wrong.}}  
  
{Shut up!}  
  
{{But it's true. Once you were gone from his life, Duo didn't have any reason to  
  
keep himself in the level of good health you're used to seeing him in.}}  
  
{Whatever… Now shut up and leave me alone… You can argue with me for as long  
  
as you want to… Later. Right now, I just want to make sure that Duo's okay.}  
  
{{Really? As long as I want to? Hmm… Well, Duo does need to be watched over  
  
and taken care of, and I want to see him in top shape again too… Plus, freedom to  
  
argue with you nonstop for a while is a good thing… So I'll go away.}}  
  
{Thanks.}  
  
{{For now.}}  
  
{Of course.}  
  
Heero sighed. "Duo, as soon as I get you to some place nice and warm and relatively safe, I'm going to have a long talk with you about this…" Heero whispered, shaking his head disapprovingly.  
  
Duo tossed slightly in his sleep, and Heero unconsciously reached down to smooth back the American's hair. That seemed to help calm him down some, and Heero smiled faintly. He was beautiful…  
  
Sometime during his watch of Duo, Heero found himself nodding off. Rather than fight sleep, he wriggled out from underneath Duo's head and laid down next to the sleeping boy. Hoping that between the warmth of the fire, the blanket, and the combined warmth of their two bodies Duo would keep warm, Heero gave in to the enticing peace of sleep's embrace. 


	14. Chapter Twelve

The next morning found a sleepy Duo opening his eyes and squinting at the not-so-sudden attack of the morning sun's light upon his eyes.  
  
"Mmm… Hidoi…" he groaned, pulling the blanket up over his face. A slight movement at his side, however, brought Duo to full alert; old habits from the war died hard, especially since those habits had been burned into his mind to keep him alive.  
  
Duo sat bolt upright, the blanket falling off of him. To one side of him was the remains of a small fire. To his other side was… Heero!  
  
Duo stared at the Japanese boy, a smile creeping gradually onto his face. "Aww… Heero no kawaii!" Duo exclaimed to himself softly. Heero shifted in his sleep again.  
  
The American pilot considered staying in his upright position, but sharp pains in various areas of his body caused him to quickly reconsider and lay back down, although he did prop himself up with one arm.  
  
"Man… I'm never letting myself get into such bad shape ever again!" he moaned to himself under his breath. If it weren't for the fact that his head was throbbing mercilessly, he probably would have shook it.  
  
Duo stared at the boy laying next to him, a little smile appearing on his face as he did so. "He's just so beautiful… He's perfect…" Duo thought to himself tenderly.  
  
Heero stirred again, then stretched. He opened one eye, looking around warily. Sensing nothing dangerous, he opened the other and sat up, looking not the least bit tired. 


	15. Chapter Thirteen

"Morning. I'm jealous." Duo greeted his friend teasingly.  
  
Heero blinked. "Morning. Why?"  
  
Duo smiled cutely. "You can wake up and look like you didn't just wake up. That's a very useful talent for when you fall asleep in class or during a meeting and someone wakes you up." he replied cheerfully.  
  
The corners of Heero's mouth twitched. "Hn."  
  
"Of course, I guess you've never had to use it like that."  
  
Another twitch. "No. Falling asleep during class has always been your realm of experience, not mine."  
  
Duo laughed softly. "Yeah, I guess so…" Then a realization kicked in. "Heero… Was that… a joke?" he asked incredulously.  
  
"No, just your imagination."  
  
"Really? I don't think so…"  
  
"Had to have been. Yours is certainly active enough."  
  
"You're in a really good mood today, aren't you?"  
  
"I guess you could say that…"  
  
"Wanna' tell me why?"  
  
"Hn…"  
  
"S' that a yes?"  
  
"Hn."  
  
"Okay… Whatever…"  
  
"How can you be so talkative this early in the morning?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"You never were before… I've never known you to be a morning person."  
  
Duo stopped for a moment, surprised. "I don't know… I'm usually not."  
  
"Ah."  
  
"You're talkative today."  
  
"No."  
  
"You've just said your sixty-fourth word today, and you've been up for less than five minutes. You usually don't get past twenty-five before lunch time unless there's a mission briefing where you have to talk or something."  
  
Heero's mouth twitched yet again. "That was during the war. Things… have changed." he replied seriously.  
  
"Hn. Apparently so."  
  
"You can't say that."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Hn."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"It's my word."  
  
Duo blinked and stared. "Huh?"  
  
"My word."  
  
Blink. Blink. Blink.  
  
"Like you."  
  
Stare. Blink. Stare some more. Blink again. "What?"  
  
"Mine."  
  
"What?"  
  
"No, who."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Not what, who."  
  
"Uhhm…"  
  
"Hn is my word."  
  
"I… I'd gathered that…"  
  
"You're mine too."  
  
Blink. "Me?"  
  
"You. You're mine."  
  
Duo stared dumbly at the Japanese boy sitting across from him. Then he fainted. 


	16. Chapter Fourteen

"Like you."  
  
Stare. Blink. Stare some more. Blink again. "What?"  
  
"I can't have heard him right… He didn't just say that…" Duo thought to himself.  
  
"Mine."  
  
"What?"  
  
"No, who."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Maybe I did hear him right… Maybe…" Duo shook his head mentally.  
  
"Not what, who."  
  
"Uhhm…"  
  
Heero was starting to worry Duo. This wasn't like him…  
  
"Hn is my word."  
  
"I… I'd gathered that…"  
  
This was really getting strange…  
  
"You're mine too."  
  
Blink. "Me?"  
  
"He didn't just say that… Why would he have said that? He couldn't have said that." Duo thought to himself again. His mind was reeling with shock.  
  
"You. You're mine."  
  
Pleasant shock. Pleasant, wonderful, incredible shock. Duo stared dumbly at the Japanese boy sitting across from him, waiting for a bright light to shine, angels to appear, and voices to start singing out of nowhere. Then he fainted. 


	17. Chapter Fifteen

"Hn. Apparently so."  
  
"You can't say that."  
  
"Am I really saying this?" Heero asked himself silently.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Hn."  
  
"I sound stupid."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"It's my word."  
  
"Apparently I am… I wonder if I can stop myself from talking?" he wondered.  
  
Duo blinked and stared. "Huh?"  
  
"My word."  
  
"Apparently not…"  
  
Blink. Blink. Blink.  
  
"Like you."  
  
"Where'd that come from?"  
  
Stare. Blink. Stare some more. Blink again. "What?"  
  
"Mine."  
  
"And again…"  
  
"What?"  
  
"No, who."  
  
"This is strange…"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Not what, who."  
  
"Might as well sit back and watch…"  
  
"Uhhm…"  
  
"Hn is my word."  
  
"Not much else I can do now."  
  
"I… I'd gathered that…"  
  
"You're mine too."  
  
"And the truth is out."  
  
Blink. "Me?"  
  
"You. You're mine."  
  
"Maybe it's easier on both of us this way…?"  
  
Duo stared dumbly at the Japanese boy sitting across from him. Then he fainted.  
  
"Hn. Maybe not…" 


	18. Chapter Sixteen

Five or ten minutes later, Duo regained consciousness, albeit a bit slowly. He groaned slightly as he came floating back.  
  
"Are you okay?" Heero asked. Duo stared.  
  
"Was that a dream?" he asked groggily.  
  
"Was what a dream?"  
  
"I thought that you said that…"  
  
"You're mine."  
  
"Okay… I guess that means it wasn't a dream…"  
  
"I'd say not."  
  
"Say it again."  
  
"You're mine."  
  
"Honto? Honto ni, Hee-chan?"  
  
"Hai."  
  
Duo sighed happily.  
  
"So, I take it that… You don't mind me saying that?" Heero asked tentatively.  
  
"Mmm… Not at all."  
  
"That's good. I… I was afraid that you would be upset…"  
  
"Why would I?"  
  
"I'm a boy."  
  
"And a gorgeous one at that."  
  
Heero blushed. He was at a loss for words.  
  
"Kawaii…" Duo cooed.  
  
"Hn."  
  
"Oh, c'mon… Don't start that again. You were doing so good at talking."  
  
"I don't know what to say."  
  
"How about, "You too."?"  
  
"Okay… You too."  
  
"Thank you." Duo beamed. "I'd have to agree; I am pretty cute, ain't I?"  
  
Heero actually smiled this time. "Yeah, you are."  
  
"You should smile more often."  
  
Heero looked puzzled. "Why?"  
  
"You look cute when you do."  
  
"You should smile more often too."  
  
"I smile all the time!"  
  
"No, Duo… I mean real smiles."  
  
"Oh…" Duo laughed, sounding slightly nervous. "You could tell the difference?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Duo shrugged. "Sorry… Didn't have much cause to really smile, ya know?"  
  
"I suppose that none of us did."  
  
The American pilot smiled shyly, a real smile this time. "Well… Maybe I'll have more reasons now…"  
  
"I'll do my best to make sure that you do."  
  
"Start now, then."  
  
"What do you want me to do?"  
  
"Say it again."  
  
It was Heero's turn to smile again this time. "Mine."  
  
"And again."  
  
Heero rolled over, holding himself over his friend. "Mine." he repeated, almost growling this time. He pretended to bite at Duo, causing them to both laugh.  
  
"I guess today really has been full of surprises…" Duo murmured, half to himself, half to Heero. Heero nodded.  
  
"It has."  
  
"That's good."  
  
"I like surprises."  
  
"But not all of them."  
  
"No."  
  
"Not ones like surprise attacks against us."  
  
"No, not ones like those."  
  
"And not Relena showing up out of the blue."  
  
Heero shuddered. "No. Definitely not. I don't like Relena showing up at all."  
  
Duo grinned. "That's good. But… I'd like her to show up, just once more…"  
  
Another shudder. "Why?"  
  
"Because… I want her to hear you say it to me…"  
  
An almost evil grin appeared on Heero's face, the type that Duo used to get when he was fighting in a battle. "Heh… She'd be devastated…"  
  
"Hee-chan, it's not nice to be that happy about the idea!"  
  
"I don't want to be nice to her."  
  
"You should at least try to be."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"She has feelings too."  
  
"Yeah. I want to crush them."  
  
"Heero! Be nice!"  
  
"No."  
  
Duo sighed. "I give up!"  
  
"I'll be nice to you, though…" Heero whispered, looking down into Duo's eyes. He could feel himself drowning in the amethyst depths…  
  
"Mmm… That's good…" Duo returned the gaze, marveling at the sparkle in his friend's stunning cobalt eyes. That sparkle hadn't always been there…  
  
"Sparkle."  
  
"What?"  
  
"The sparkle in your eyes…. Pretty."  
  
"Like you."  
  
Duo giggled. "But… It hasn't always been there…"  
  
"It has… But I kept it crushed, hidden."  
  
"Why is it there?"  
  
"Because of you."  
  
"Me?"  
  
"You light my soul up… I think that must be what the sparkle is."  
  
"Hmm… I like that reason… Can I make the sparkle brighter?"  
  
"How?"  
  
"Like this…" Duo slowly raised his head, careful not to jar it and increase the pressure of his headache, and brushed his lips gently against Heero's.  
  
Heero froze for a moment, then returned the kiss eagerly. His bangs brushed Duo's forehead as their lips met again.  
  
"Yes… It definitely got brighter…" Duo confirmed as the kiss ended.  
  
"That's good… Do it again?"  
  
"Gladly."  
  
The two kissed again, a little less gently this time. When their lips parted, Heero could hear a strange sound coming from Duo…  
  
"You're purring!" he exclaimed, finally identifying the sound for what it was. A gentle smile appeared on his face, and he looked down at his friend tenderly.  
  
Duo blushed. "I do that when I'm really happy… Not sure why…"  
  
"Kawaii." Heero whispered, kissing the tip of Duo's nose. "Duo-Neko- chan."  
  
The American pilot giggled and smiled cheerfully. "Mreow." he purred, earning another smile from Heero.  
  
A brief, peaceful silence ensued. Finally Duo stretched and yawned, asking, "What time is it, Hee-chan?"  
  
"Hn. I don't have a watch on right now, but I'd guess that it's approximately… 5:30 a.m." Heero replied. Duo made a face.  
  
"Man… Can't believe I'm up this early… Let me go back to sleep, please?" he asked hopefully, looking quite cute. Heero smiled gently.  
  
"Go ahead, Neko-chan. I suppose that we don't really have to leave the area until 8:30 or so. Besides, you look like you could use the rest."  
  
"Definitely. And the same goes for you. Ya look like you haven't been getting much sleep lately."  
  
"I haven't; I've been too busy trying to find you."  
  
"Well… You've found me, and I'm definitely not going to be leaving you anytime soon, so you should go ahead and get some sleep too."  
  
"Hn. Okay."  
  
"It's settled, then. Lay back down and pull the blanket up again; no, you're too far away, you're letting heat escape." Duo coached. "Okay. Now go to sleep."  
  
"Yes, Neko-chan… Whatever you say."  
  
"I'm serious!"  
  
"I know."  
  
"Then sleep."  
  
"Hn."  
  
After several moments of Duo trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in, the two pilots finally fell asleep in each other's arms, content smiles on their faces. 


	19. Chapter Seventeen

"Wow… I hadn't expected any of that… Hoped for, wished for, yes. But I didn't think that it would actually happen. At least, not this soon… I thought that I'd have to lead up to flirting slowly… I didn't think that he'd be the one to initiate it!" Duo thought to himself as he drifted off to sleep.  
  
"He called me his… And he likes it when I purr. I'll have to remember that. And to think… I was going to try to break myself of that habit!"  
  
Duo wriggled a little closer to Heero, resting his head on one of the other boy's arms. His eyelids fluttered closed slowly, and he fell asleep.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Heero couldn't help but stare in almost disbelief at the American boy resting in his arms. He couldn't believe everything that had happened…  
  
"He likes me… He's happy that I like him… And I think he was surprised that I like him. I don't see why… How could anyone resist a creature as beautiful as he is?" Heero wondered. He found himself gently kissing his friend's soft, chestnut colored hair.  
  
Heero ran through all that they had said just minutes ago, and was amazed. Not just by what had happened between Duo and him… But at how much he had talked, at how happy he was. And how happy Duo had looked. It was amazing.  
  
"I can't believe I said all that… I haven't talked so freely in all my life; I've never said so much in so short a span of time, either. It felt… nice, to be able to talk to someone. Especially to him." Heero mused.  
  
A smiled appeared on the Japanese pilot's face. "He purrs… I like that. It suits him, somehow… Duo-Neko no kawaii…" he thought fondly.  
  
Heero found himself starting to nod off again; he hadn't thought that he was tired, but apparently he was wrong…  
  
"Good night, koi…" he whispered softly, giving in to sleep quickly. The smile was still present on his face. 


	20. Chapter Eighteen

Heero awoke a few short hours later, the sun attacking his eyes in full force. He could tell from his friend's slow, steady breathing that Duo was not yet awake. Propping himself up on his elbows, he watched the sleeping boy.  
  
Heero was absolutely and totally in awe of the beautiful American. "He's just perfect." He thought to himself, reaching out one hand to grasp the chestnut braid that was snaking away from the rest of the boy's body. "Perfect hair… Color the shade of chestnuts, and so silky… Eyes a sparkling amethyst, so deep I could just drown in them… Hn. I'm turning into a poet. Interesting."  
  
After watching his friend for ten or fifteen minutes, Heero reluctantly decided that he would have to wake Duo up if they wanted to reach an area even remotely civilized by nightfall; houses were pretty far apart in the area they were at, and hotels were practically nonexistent. They'd have to actively search for a place they'd be able to stay at.  
  
Heero gently shook his friend by the shoulders, softly saying, "Wake up, koi. Wake up. We have to be leaving soon."  
  
Duo opened his eyes slowly, not particularly happy at having been woken up so soon after he had last fallen asleep. "Whas' that?" he slurred sleepily, blinking owlishly at the Japanese pilot's face.  
  
"You need to wake up, get up." Heero replied, sitting up. "We need to be leaving the area soon if we plan on reaching a place with a warm bed by nightfall."  
  
Duo nodded his agreement, although he had only halfway listened to the explanation. He perked up slightly at the end of the response, however.  
  
"Did you say bed? As in… singular?" he asked slyly, more awake by now. The glance he gave his friend made Heero almost… nervous.  
  
"I did. I can't afford anything more than a one bed room right now."  
  
"Uh huh… And since we don't want to spend any more of your money than we have to right now, it would probably have to be a very small room, ne?"  
  
"Hai…"  
  
"And a small room would probably have a small bed, right?"  
  
Heero thought he saw where Duo was going with this; the mischievous gleam in those violet orbs let him know that he was correct.  
  
"Probably so."  
  
"Make sure of it. A big bed would be wasted; I like to cuddle." Duo grinned.  
  
Heero smiled weakly, trying to fend off a blush that he knew was trying to work its way to his face. "Hai. One small room. With one small bed…" he confirmed. The blush escaped his control and he turned bright pink. Duo giggled.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"You need to wake up, get up." Heero replied, sitting up. "We need to be leaving the area soon if we plan on reaching a place with a warm bed by nightfall."  
  
Duo nodded his agreement, although he had only halfway listened to the explanation. He perked up slightly at the end of the response, however.  
  
"Did you say bed? As in… singular?" he asked slyly, more awake by now. The glance he gave his friend made Heero seem almost… nervous.  
  
"I know he did. Let's see if he admits it; was that a slip?" Duo thought.  
  
"I did. I can't afford anything more than a one bed room right now."  
  
"Hmm… This could have its possibilities… Several possibilities…" he schemed.  
  
"Uh huh… And since we don't want to spend any more of your money than we have to right now, it would probably have to be a very small room, ne?"  
  
"Hai…"  
  
"Heh heh…"  
  
"And a small room would probably have a small bed, right?"  
  
Heero thought he saw where Duo was going with this; the mischievous gleam in those violet orbs let him know that he was correct.  
  
"Probably so."  
  
"This will be fun!" he cackled to himself.  
  
"Make sure of it. A big bed would be wasted; I like to cuddle." Duo grinned. "There. That will clear up any doubts he was having about what I was hinting at. I hope." He continued to himself silently.  
  
Heero smiled weakly, trying to fend off a blush that he knew was trying to work its way to his face. "Hai. One small room. With one small bed…" he confirmed. The blush escaped the Japanese boy's control, and he turned bright pink. Duo giggled.  
  
"He's so cute when he blushes!" the American thought to himself, looking at his friend speculatively. "I wonder how many times I can get him to do that today…"  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Did you say bed? As in… singular?" he asked slyly, more awake by now. The glance he gave his friend made Heero almost… nervous.  
  
"I did. I can't afford anything more than a one bed room right now."  
  
"What is he getting at?" Heero thought to himself. "Does he mind sharing? I suppose that if he does, I can afford two small rooms, or one with two beds…"  
  
"Uh huh… And since we don't want to spend any more of your money than we have to right now, it would probably have to be a very small room, ne?"  
  
"Hai…" he replied. Then to himself, "I hope I didn't sound nervous."  
  
"And a small room would probably have a small bed, right?"  
  
Heero had thought he saw where Duo was going with this; the mischievous gleam in those violet orbs let him know that he was correct.  
  
"Probably so."  
  
"Make sure of it. A big bed would be wasted; I like to cuddle." Duo grinned.  
  
Heero smiled weakly, trying to fend off a blush that he knew was trying to work its way to his face. "Hai. One small room. With one small bed…" he confirmed. The blush escaped his control and he turned bright pink. Duo giggled.  
  
"I'm pathetic. I can't even keep myself from blushing!" Heero thought to himself disapprovingly. "And he didn't even say anything to warrant a blush!" He sighed to himself silently, giving up for the moment on figuring out his reactions around and to this beautiful violet-eyed creature. 


End file.
